Best and worst facelifts

BrianD3

IMO when car makers facelift a car they usually make a dogs dinner of it. Facelifts are meant to make a car look fresher and better but they usually make it look worse. Anyone want to name examples of cars that were spoiled or at least disimproved by facelifts. I think the facelifted Renault Laguna falls into this category.

Some cars get very subtle facelifts eg the BMW E36 got one involving the front indicators and grille and only an anorak would notice it.

One significant facelift that did improve a car IMO was the last Ford Escort which was actually facelifted twice. The original car was plain, the first facelift was disgusting and the 2nd facelift was a significant improvement.

bennyc

was it the 2000 facelift to the vectra that ended costing 200 jobs in GM in England as it was such a poor/lazy attempt

_Kaiser_

The bad:

The 98/99 Corolla with the "bug" headlights

The newer Civics (newer Prelude's as well) - toned them wayy down

New Colts.. ditto

New Avensis, New Primera (though I do kinda like it for some reason) .. in fact what is it with car manufacturers in the last few years and the need to build these big bulky looking saloon cars??

Seth Brundle

I think the E39 5 series facelift was quite good as the new angel eyes were quite original.
However, I can't think of any drastic facelifts but I didn't like the facelifted bug eyes on the Impreza.
Whilst not a facelift as such, I think the E46 to E90 3 series changes were terrible

ambro25

Impreza pre-01 ('classic') to post-01 ('bug eyes').

W-O-R-S-T-E-V-E-R facelift.

Latest ('02, was it? well, *very* shortly after ) redeems the situation somewhat, but still a long way to recapture the minds like the Mk.2 ('97, or was it '98?) did.

A good recent one is the new MX-5. Sort of a half-way between the original and the very-limited production run of that V8 BMW roadster (the one in the Bond movie). Me likes, much more than the '98-to-'04 version (non-pop-up headlights).

mike65

May I mention the Multipla?

Fresh and funky, then dull and conservative.

Mike.

Seth Brundle

ambro25 wrote:

A good recent one is the new MX-5. Sort of a half-way between the original and the very-limited production run of that V8 BMW roadster (the one in the Bond movie). Me likes, much more than the '98-to-'04 version (non-pop-up headlights).

eh?

el tel

All those Lamborghini and Ferrari facelifts that ditched the pop-up lights for clear coverings in anticipation of a pop-up ban in the USA...

(but kudos to Kersh and his new car: the late mode Diablos use the same headlamp units as the Nissan 300ZX)

bmoferrall

I think most people would agree that the Alfa 166 facelift was an improvement.

Before:


After:


To be honest, it would have been harder to make the original worse!


I reckon Alfa spoilt the original 156 with the same new face.
What was discreet and proportionate became fussy and over-prominent.

Before:


After:



All academic now, of course.
The 166 has been put down and the 156 will shortly cede the limelight to the 159.

ambro25

kbannon wrote:

eh?

New MX-5:



BMW Z8:



Original MX-5:



I did say a 'cross' (betweent the original and the z8), not 'exactly like' :rolleyes: But you'd really need to see one in the flesh... erm... metal, to get my point, I think (saw two in UK last week).

Squirrel

I preferred the,original 166, the front flowed more smoothly into the back. The new Laguna is a step backwards. Also, I preferred the original Focus (the one with the indicators on the bumper), to the face-lifted version (aroud 01/02 I think), don't know why

Seth Brundle

@ ambro - I understand what you mean now - I thought you were thinking they were from the same manufacturer.

The Z8 in fairness is a good remake of the old 507

layke

A lot of cars have turned to muck in the most recent models.

The classic MR2 is now a nice sporty hairdressers car imo... The civic is great for the family and personally I think the round eyes on the Subaru are mingin.

Mistubishi have kept their cars looking mean which is what I like and god help me I do have a soft sport for the latest EVO.

Overall were getting closer to that rounder futuristic look, you know where we all will eventually whiz around in bubbles.

lomb

jaguar xk8 old model
http://www.forbes.com/2001/01/01/0101testdrive.html
xk8 new model
http://www.aftonbladet.se/bil/skrivbord/jaguar/XK8-1280.jpg
enough said

knifey_spoonie

Some have mistaken facelift for new model, or so me thinks.

maidhc

Blah, I reckon they change them alot of the time just for the sake of changing them.

I think VW and Ford are good with facelifts.
i.e.

Update to Passat around 2000 --> Sorted out the ugly front
Passat in 1995 --> The pre facelifted car looked awful though (not referring to new model in 1996)
Audi A4 in 1998/9 --> Small things like door handles and boot, but made a big improvment IMO
The Skoda Felicia was a nice improvment over the Favorit too.

Mondeo update around 2003 --> Just made the car look sharper and nicer
Mondeo update in 1997 --> Made a bland looking car far more interesting
Scorpio towards the end of its life --> Couldnt make it worse anyway I guess
Fiesta in 1996 and in 2000ish. --> Made the ugly 1988 body nice looking
Escort as already noted

(NB. The "new" focus doesnt follow this trend)

Its true about the round futuristic look. Buy yer Volvo 740s while you can

bazz26

Ford gave the plain but not ugly 1987 - 1994 Granada a major rework and turned it into the ugly Scorpio in 1995.

The Hyundai Coupe facelifted in 2000 with the twin front lights was horrible.

The 2001 Scooby with the bug eyes, improved in 2003 and now getting another facelift in January.

The Rover 25/45 or MG ZR/ZS had more facelifts than Cher but the last one in 2004 was horrible imo and made a 10 year old design look 20 years old.

Agree with views on the current Laguna, the facelift has done nothing for it except maybe show that the design is showing it's age.

The Honda NSX originally had pop up lights until around 2001 when they got rid of them, totally ruinned the front of the car.

I think the current Audi A4 facelift is not brilliant either.

alias no.9

bazz26 wrote:

The Hyundai Coupe facelifted in 2000 with the twin front lights was horrible.

The problem wasn't necessarily with the twin front lights but the fact that they kept the old indicator lights which had two corners and a curved edge, fine when the corners were butted up against the corners of the old headlight. It just doesn't work when they're out on their own beside twin round lights.

Cyrus

old 147 (YEAY)



New facelift (BOO)

bazz26

alias no.9 wrote:

The problem wasn't necessarily with the twin front lights but the fact that they kept the old indicator lights which had two corners and a curved edge, fine when the corners were butted up against the corners of the old headlight. It just doesn't work when they're out on their own beside twin round lights.

Yes, the front just looked over complicated and fussy.

The original 1997 coupe was apparently designed by a well known designer but the 2000 facelift was done inhouse by Hyundai. It figures..

Lump Basher

kbannon wrote:

eh?

Eh - just read his post - it makes perfect sense.

TJM

bmoferrall wrote:

I think most people would agree that the Alfa 166 facelift was an improvement.

Before:


After:


To be honest, it would have been harder to make the original worse!

Absolutely. The original 166 always reminded me of the Ford Scorpio with its "droopy eyes".

knifey_spoonie

The facelifted corolla which really hepls the IMO